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CNET Editors' Rating

The GoodEye-catching design; plenty of compartments; rock-solid feel and build.

The BadVery large and bulky size makes this bag unsuitable for normal city commuting; it's best as a weekend or carry-on bag for plane trips.

The Bottom LineThough it's far too large to be used as an everyday laptop backpack, the sturdy design and numerous pockets on the multipurpose Booq Boa Flow make it a great buy as a weekend or carry-on bag that can handle most laptops.

8.0 Overall

Design8.0

Features8.0

Review Sections

Last year, one of our favorite laptop backpacks (and really, it still is) was the Booq Boa Squeeze. More of a padded gear tube with arm straps and plenty of pockets, it managed to be stylish, compact, sturdy, and roomy all at once.

For something a little bigger--no, make that a lot bigger--Booq's sizable Boa Flow might be what you're looking for. OK, honestly, the bag's gigantic. A large reinforced black-and-orange curved shell-shape lined with some useful pockets and plenty of interior room, the Flow will resemble nothing so much as a giant Koopa shell or neon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume. It's not light, either: at 4.5 pounds for the medium-size Flow and 4.9 pounds for the XL-size, this bag's heavy even when empty. It also isn't cheap: $199 might be too steep for many bag-buyers. It's twice the price of the Boa Squeeze.

To its credit, however, it keeps its shape and stays strong. A large interior, nearly enough space to be called a weekend suitcase, can hold clothes, small packages, and whatever else you can think of. Laptops actually slide into a separate rear-zippered compartment, which has very thick and rigid padding. Even semithick 17-inch desktop replacements can fit here, no problem, providing you've bought the XL (which, incidentally, happens to be same price as the M).

The ergonomic back padding is generous to say the least: three big orange slabs of foam provide ventilation, and the curved arm straps are comfortable, though lack smartphone pockets like the Squeeze had. There is a padded sleeve below the thick, padded top handle to the Flow where an iPhone, MP3 player, or other smartphone can be tucked in, but its placement while wearing the Flow could leave your treasured gadget vulnerable to being stolen.

Scott Stein is a senior editor covering iOS and laptop reviews, mobile computing, video games, and tech culture. He has previously written for both mainstream and technology enthusiast publications including Wired, Esquire.com, Men's Journal, and Maxim, and regularly appears on TV and radio talking tech trends.
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